San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-06-25
TRUE TO THE oLDIDEA.

Jefferson Davis, eX-president of the
the general run of ex-cOnfederase Opin-
ion on that battle flag matter. 10 a re-
cent public utterance, this unimpesch-
able ex-confederate authority speaks as
follows:
IL may say that the order of the war
department to return the captured flags
OF the late confederate states was viO-
latiOR of all known military precedents.
You will find in my history of the late
war that there were but rs regiments Of
regular troops in the army OF the north,
and OF the total OF $50 confederate flags
captured il is questionable II these 70
regiments captured 30. The flags were
captured by the volunteer armies Of the
north and belong to the several states,
and have no right to be in the national
capital"
The opinion here expressed the LIGHT
will not dissent from, so far as refers to
the capture of these flags and the
authority of the war department in the
matter of their return. The closing SEN
tence of this declaration of the chief of
the dead eonfederacy however, demands
notice. According to Jefferson Davis
these flags have no right to be in the
national capital. Without stopping TO
enquire how far Mr.. Davis is qualified
just now to speak for the nation in any
thing, 1t is worthy of notice that this
closing sentence of the language quoted
above reiterRtes what the COnfederacy
always claimed and probably always
will, viz, that the late war between the
national government and the seceeding
states was merely war between the
states. From this opinion all republic
cans and some democrats dissent. 1t
was not war between the states in the
sense Intended by Mr.. Davis language.
That language draws y dis
tinctiOn between the national govern
ment and the loyal states. In their rela-
ton to the war for secession, which does
not exist. During that war the nOn-se-
ceeding states were the nation. All
that there was OF national government,
national authority, national power, ma
tiOnal law and order was just what gov
eminent, authority, power, law and
order was upheld by the loyal states,
and outside of this there was no nation
al government. 1t was not war be,
tween the states as states. 1t was not a
war between the states OF one section
oonfederated against the states of an
other section. 1t was war of the ma
tional government to perpetuate the au-
thority and powers Of these United
States assailed by such Of the states rs
government and denied her authority
In q word, it was war OF the national
government against those who had
armed themselves in rebellion to her au-
thority, who seized her property and at
tempted to overthrow her power. This
distinction the north will not lose 81 ght
of. This distinction the south will not
acknowledge. Out of this distinction
grows the differences that divide the
north and the south today. When the
south accepts the situation, no longer
contending that it was war between
the states, but confessing that IL was a
war for the perpetuation Of national ex-
istence, waged by the national govern
ment as such, and not by the several
states OF the north, then there would be
some hope Of real and lasting good
will between the north and south.
NEW YORK money market was a.
panicky yesterday as a hysteric dude,
and all because of q false rumor OF Jay
GOuld's death. Western Union fell off
seven points, and it is very generally sus-
peCted that the report Of GOuld's death
and that Russell Sage and Cyrus Field
had falling out was manufactured to
suit those who had a mind to run stocks
down for the purpose Of buying in at a
low figure. All public confidence
seems lost in speculative enter
prise, and IL we're well for she legiti-
mate business Of the country ifthat con-